Method and apparatus for dynamically modifying web page display for mobile devices

ABSTRACT

A method of dynamically modifying web page displays used in various mobile devices. The method uses a motion detection mechanism to detect whether the mobile device is moving or in motion and then modifies web page displays sent to the device based upon the sensor readings. As such, the method, system, and apparatus are capable of automatically modifying a display provided to a mobile device based upon a determination that the user and/or device are moving and/or in motion. In another aspect, the method, system, and apparatus are also capable of modifying the complexity of a display provided to a mobile device based upon the degree of movement and/or motion by the user and/or device.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of the transfer of electronicinformation and, more particularly, to displays of web pages on mobiledevices.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the growth of wireless mobile devices, there is a concurrent growthwith providing adaptability and improved ease of use and interactivity.The mobile wireless device may be any device capable of receiving avisual communication from a wireless or non-wireless device or network,a server or other communication network, including, but not limited to,a cellular phone, a laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), apager, a smart phone, or any other suitable device as recognized by onehaving ordinary skill in the art to receive visual communication.

Highly miniaturized computing devices, such as handheld computers andPDAs, have significant operational limitations as a consequence of theirsmall size. In particular, the visual display is highly constrained: thesmall size greatly restricts the size of images and/or data displayed tothe screen.

Accordingly, due to the size of screens, one of the major problemsfacing users of mobile devices is the ability to read what is displayedon the screen of the device while the user is in motion. A user that isin motion may not be able to read the display on the mobile device,while a user that is stationary would be able to read the display. Thebulk of mobile screens that have been developed are suitable forstationary users, but difficult for users on the move to read. Forexample, it is easy to check one's flight schedule if one is sitting atan airport terminal. However, a traveler who is rushing from one gate toanother is unlikely to use his personal digital assistant (PDA) toconfirm the departure gate as he would likely have to stop to read thedisplay, which would cost the traveler time he may not have.

There have been a few proposed solutions to this problem. One techniqueis the development and use of very simple screens that may be easilyread by the user on the move, as well as by the stationary user. Thedisadvantage of this technique is that the stationary user may findthese simple screens to be simple and dull and may not use it, in part,due to the limited amount of information provided.

Another proposed option is to provide a profile that a user may specifyit they wish to see a simple screen, a medium screen or a complexscreen. The appropriate screen would then be displayed. The disadvantageof this technique is that the user has to manually modify the profilewhen their situation changes, and many users will not or can not dothis, especially a user suddenly on the move attempting to change theirpreference from a complex screen to a simpler one.

Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method thatis capable of automatically modifying a display provided to a mobiledevice based upon a determination that the user and/or device are movingand/or in motion. It would also be beneficial to provide a system andmethod that is capable of automatically modifying the complexity of adisplay provided to a mobile device based upon the degree of movementand/or motion by the user and/or device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method, system, and apparatus formodifying a web page display for a mobile device. More specifically, thepresent invention is capable of automatically modifying a displayprovided to a mobile device based upon a determination that the userand/or device are moving and/or in motion. In another aspect, thepresent invention provides a method, system, and apparatus for modifyingthe complexity of a display provided to a mobile device based upon thedegree of movement and/or motion by the user and/or device.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for modifyinga web page display for a mobile device including the steps ofdetermining a movement status of the mobile device using a motiondetection mechanism; setting a motion parameter based upon the movementstatus; sending a request for electronic content from the device,wherein the request includes the motion parameter; receiving theelectronic content; and displaying the received electronic content;wherein a complexity of the electronic content varies based upon themotion parameter.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a machine-readablestorage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality ofcode sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causingthe machine to perform the steps of determining a movement status of themobile device using a motion detection mechanism; setting a motionparameter based upon the movement status; sending a request forelectronic content from the device, wherein the request includes themotion parameter; receiving the electronic content; and displaying thereceived electronic content; wherein a complexity of the electroniccontent varies based upon the motion parameter.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a system formodifying a web page display for a mobile device including a motiondetection mechanism for determining a movement status of the mobiledevice; means for setting a motion parameter based upon the movementstatus; means for sending a request for electronic content from thedevice, wherein the request includes the motion parameter; means forreceiving the electronic content; and a display for displaying thereceived electronic content; wherein a complexity of the electroniccontent varies based upon the motion parameter.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides a method formodifying a web page display for a mobile device including the steps ofreceiving a request for electronic content from the mobile device,wherein the request includes a motion parameter; and sending therequested electronic content; wherein a complexity of the electroniccontent that is sent varies based upon the motion parameter.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides amachine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer programhaving a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by amachine for causing the machine to perform the steps of receiving arequest for electronic content from a mobile device, wherein the requestincludes a motion parameter; and sending the requested electroniccontent; wherein a complexity of the electronic content that is sentvaries based upon the motion parameter.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides a system formodifying a web page display for a mobile device including means forreceiving a request for electronic content from the mobile device,wherein the request includes a motion parameter; and means for sendingthe requested electronic content: where in a complexity of theelectronic content that is sent varies based upon the motion parameter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presentlypreferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a systemfor modifying a web page display for a mobile device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a systemfor modifying a web page display for a mobile device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is more particularly described in the followingdescription and examples that are intended to be illustrative only sincenumerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. As used in the specification and in the claims, thesingular form “a,” “an,” and “the” may include plural referents unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in thespecification and in the claims, the term “comprising” may include theembodiments “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.”

The present invention provides a method, system, and apparatus formodifying a web page display for a mobile device. More specifically, thepresent invention provides a method, system, and apparatus that arecapable of automatically modifying a display provided to a mobile devicebased upon a determination that the user and/or device are moving and/orin motion. In another aspect, the present invention is also capable ofmodifying the complexity of a display provided to a mobile device basedupon the degree of movement and/or motion by the user and/or device.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that information thatis provided to a user may be customized based on the movement status ofthe user—more specifically, how prepared a user is to view a web pagebased on an activity he or she is performing. This makes it much morelikely that the user will view the information that is presented and/orrespond accordingly. Known solutions that depend on profiles are notcapable of dynamically changing content based on the state of the userunless the user manually updates their profile with any statedinformation. Content providers may also benefit from the presentinvention as they are better able to effectively target their users asthey will not waste time and bandwidth transmitting complex informationto a user who has little time to view the page while users that have alot of time on their hands may have more meaningful information sent tothem. The content providers may also make better decisions on whether toincrease any audio and/or visual content of any information as someonein motion is more likely to pay attention to an audio clip than someonewho is sitting still.

The present invention utilizes a motion detection mechanism that isembedded within or attached to a mobile device. The motion detectionmechanism detects the degree of movement that the user has. Thisinformation may then be fed to the browser on the mobile device, eitherreal time or with a slight delay to ensure the user has actually had achange in their movement status. The browser may then send a motionparameter to the application server when requesting a page thatindicates the degree of movement the user is experiencing, and theapplication server would then respond with an appropriate page. As such,when a user shows a high degree of movement, the resulting display wouldbe a simple page and a user with a lower degree of movement would beshown a more complex display.

In one aspect, from the perspective of the device, after a motionparameter has been set, the device requests electronic content andincludes this motion parameter in the request. The inclusion of themotion parameter in the request enables the application server, once themotion parameter is received, to send electronic content to the device,wherein the complexity of the electronic content that is sent and,therefore, that will be displayed on the device, varies based upon thismotion parameter. If the motion parameter indicates a high degree ofmovement, such as someone running the complexity of the electroniccontent to be displayed would be simpler. If the motion parameterindicates a low degree of movement, such as someone standing or walkingslowly, the complexity of the electronic content to be displayed wouldbe greater.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a systemthat detects the movement status of the user and/or device. As usedherein, the “movement status” is used to refer to the determination ofwhether the user and/or device are in motion and/or moving. Then,depending on this determination, a motion parameter is provided to theapplication server. If the determination is that the user is in motion,a simpler web display may be provided by the server to the display ofthe device. If the determination is that the user is not in motion, amore complex web display may be provided by the server to the display ofthe device.

In another embodiment, the system continues to detect whether the userand/or device is in motion on a periodic basis and, once the systemdetects a change in the movement status of the user and/or device, thecomplexity of the web page may then be changed to reflect the newmovement status.

In another embodiment, the system of the present invention includes twopossible displays—a simple display and a complex display. However, itmay be beneficial in certain situations to have more than two potentialdisplays, such as, for example, a simple display, a medium complexitydisplay, and a complex display. This embodiment may be beneficial whenthe system determines that the degree of movement is less than in othersituations. For example, if a user is walking through a terminal or downthe street, the degree of movement is less than if the same user wererunning. As such, based upon this difference in movement, a mediumcomplexity screen may be provided to the user that is walking while asimple screen may be provided to the user that is running. It is to beunderstood that additional degrees of complexity may be incorporatedbased upon other factors including, but not limited to, whether theperson is moving independently or is in a vehicle, and/or the speed atwhich a person is moving.

In addition to increased numbers of displays, in alternativeembodiments, the response may be even more sophisticated such that theuser having a higher degree of movement may be shown a simple pagetogether with audio and/or video enabled portlets, or simply an audioclip with a voice-enabled portlet (e.g. audio that states “Please stateyour flight number” and the user responds by voice) if the motiondetection mechanism detects a significant amount of movement from theuser. Accordingly, while the electronic content that is sent may have ahigher degree of programming complexity due to the portlets, the actualdisplay on the device is simpler and/or easier to operate by the userwhile the user is moving.

The system and method of the present invention detects whether the userand/or device is in motion and/or moving. This may be accomplished usingany movement detection mechanism that may be incorporated into thedevice and that is capable of detecting, either alone or in combinationwith other systems, whether the user and/or device is in motion and/ormoving. For example, in one embodiment, the mechanism is a motiondetector that is incorporated into the device. Examples of motiondetectors useful in the present invention include, but are not limitedto, gyroscopes and accelerometers. In another embodiment, the mechanismis a global position system (GPS) receiver that is embedded in orattached to the device. Then, in conjunction with GPS satellites and/orother GPS systems, the GPS receiver may be used to show that the userand/or device are moving. In yet another embodiment, the mechanism maybe the signal sent from the device, such as a cellular signal, that maybe tracked using triangulation techniques to show the location and/orsubsequent movement of the user and/or mobile device.

The motion detection mechanism may also be used not only to detectwhether the user and/or device is in motion, but also the degree ofmovement that the device is experiencing. This degree of movement may beaffected by not only the speed at which the device is moving, but alsothe direction. As such, a device that is moving at a given rate of speedwhile being rotated would have a different degree of movement than onethat is moving at the same speed, but in a straight line. In general, a“degree of movement” is used to define the speed and/or direction ofmovement, such that as the speed of movement increases, so does thedegree of movement, and such that as the direction of movementincreases, so does the degree of movement.

In select embodiments, the motion detection mechanism may be turned onand off at the discretion of the user. As such, the motion detectionmechanism may be turned off in those instances where a user may not wantit on, such as when the device is on a bumpy road. It is contemplatedthat the motion detection mechanism will be on a majority of the time,however.

In other embodiments, the present invention may include a feedbackapplication that accepts the input parameter from the motion detectionmechanism and does additional processing on the data to smooth out theeffects of the movement. For example, if the user suddenly jerks hishand, the feedback application is able to detect this and will notredirect the user to a different web page, but rather will use asmoothing parameter, such as a DSP algorithm or other image processingtechnique capable of smoothing or stabilizing an image to account formotion, to smooth the display on the device, rather than requesting aless complex display. For example, the feedback application can processthe content to be displayed in cases where the motion detected does notlast longer than a predetermined time period.

The present invention also uses a web browser that accepts inputs fromany feedback application and/or the device and sends the input as aparameter to an application server. The application server reads theparameter from any feedback application and/or browser and serves theappropriate web page to the browser. Most application servers cancurrently serve pages based on the device type so it is contemplatedthat, with minor modifications, existing application servers may becapable of processing any smoothing and/or motion parameter.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a systemand method 100 of modifying a web page display for a mobile deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. In the system 100,a motion detection mechanism tracks motion in a wireless or other typeof mobile device in step 105. A motion parameter is then sent at aspecified time interval with the application smoothing any motioneffects in step 110 and setting a motion parameter. In step 115, themotion parameter is examined. If the parameter has changed then, in step120, the browser requests a new page. If the motion parameter has notchanged, then the system returns and waits for the next motionparameter.

When the browser requests the new page 120, the motion parameter issent, through the communications network 125, to server 130, i.e. anapplication server or the like. The server can identify and select thenew page based upon the motion parameter and send this new page to thebrowser. The updated page is sent through the communications network 125and back to the browser of the device, where it is displayed and/orrendered.

Notably, the server 130 can dynamically create a page or content to besent to the browser according to the received motion parameter.Alternatively, the server 130 can include a variety of pages tailoredfor different motion parameters, i.e. of varying visual complexityand/or including audio content. In this case, the server 130 can selectcontent from the existing content according to the motion parameter. Inany case, the communications network 125 can include, but is not limitedto, the Internet, the World Wide Web, intranets, local and/or wide areanetworks, the public switched telephone network, as well as wirelessmobile and/or cellular networks.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a system according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. The system 200 includes a motion detection mechanism210 for determining a movement status of a user of a mobile device,means 220 for setting a motion parameter based upon the movement status,means 230 for sending a request (including the motion parameter) forelectronic content to a server from the mobile device, means 240 forreceiving the electronic content from the server, and a display 250 fordisplaying the received electronic content. A complexity of theelectronic content varies based upon the motion parameter. The systemmay also include a feedback application 260 for smoothing the display.The motion detection mechanism is selected from a gyroscope, anaccelerometer, a global positioning system receiver, and a cellularsignal. The display may include an additional response selected from anaudio enabled portlet, a video enabled portlet, an audio clip with avoice-enabled portlet, and a combination thereof.

The following example is presented as one possible use of the presentinvention. A sales associate that has a few minutes to spare is sittingat his desk with a mobile device looking at some product information. Heis fairly stationary, so a complex page showing detailed productinformation is displayed. A customer approaches him and asks thelocation of a given product. The associate has a general idea of wherethe product is located and starts to walk towards the item. In theinterim, the mobile device detects his movement using the motiondetection mechanism and sends a parameter to the server to display adifferent page that is voice enabled. While walking to the item, theassociate is able to search for the item and location using his voice tointeract with the voice enabled content so that he is still able to takethe customer to the correct location. When he gets there, the associatenotices that there isn't anything available on the shelf. As he isstationary for a few moments, a different page is displayed to him—oneof medium to low complexity where he may then make an inquiry about theinventory of the product and refill the stock if necessary.

The present invention may be realized in hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software. The present invention may berealized in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in adistributed fashion where different elements are spread across severalinterconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or otherapparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein issuited. A typical combination of hardware and software may be a generalpurpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loadedand executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out themethods described herein.

The present invention also may be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

This invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from thespirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should bemade to the following claims, rather than to the foregoingspecification, as indicating the scope of the invention.

1. A method of modifying a web page display for a mobile device based ona movement status of a user of the mobile device, the method comprising:determining the movement status of the user using a motion detectionmechanism; setting a motion parameter based upon the movement status;sending a request for electronic content to a server from the mobiledevice, wherein the request includes the motion parameter; receiving theelectronic content from the server; and displaying the receivedelectronic content; wherein a complexity of the electronic contentvaries based upon the motion parameter.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising the step of smoothing the display using a feedbackapplication.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion detectionmechanism is selected from a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a globalpositioning system receiver, and a cellular signal.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the complexity of the electronic content is varied suchthat a more complex display is provided when the device has a lowerdegree of movement and a less complex display is provided when thedevice has a higher degree of movement.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the display includes an additional response selected from anaudio enabled portlet, a video enabled portlet, an audio clip with avoice-enabled portlet, and a combination thereof.
 6. A method ofmodifying a web page display for a mobile device based on a movementstatus of a user of the mobile device, the method comprising: receivinga request for electronic content from the mobile device, wherein therequest includes a motion parameter set based upon the movement statusof the user as a whole determined using a motion detection mechanism;and sending the requested electronic content to the mobile device;wherein a complexity of the electronic content that is sent varies basedupon the motion parameter.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein thecomplexity of the electronic content that is sent is varied such that amore complex display is provided when the electronic content has a lowerdegree of movement and a less complex display is provided when theelectronic content has a higher degree of movement.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, further wherein the electronic content that is sent includes anadditional response selected from an audio enabled portlet, a videoenabled portlet, an audio clip with a voice-enabled portlet, and acombination thereof.